Cycling is about "Safe exercise" and "Safe low-emission travel" The Health and Fitness objective is UNDERMINED if the means of exercise is UNSAFE! This blog STRONGLY OPPOSES certain reforms VicRoads is currently considering: “cyclists could be allowed to treat red lights as Give Way signs. And the same could also APPLY at pedestrian lights."
Also "PERMITTING cyclists, riding cautiously, to proceed past a stationary tram;" "allowing teenagers to ride on footpaths"(Herald Sun)PDowe

The comments come after Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews announced a November poll pledge of a $50 million year-long trial of trains, trams and buses running through the night on Fridays and Saturdays.

As well as catering for Melbourne's late-shift workers and night owls, Labor's plan does not forget out-of-town visitors. Buses to regional centres will leave Southern Cross Station at 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Andrews says its Homesafe transport trial will up and running by New Year's Eve in 2015.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Would you catch public transport in the early hours on a weekend? Who should pay for it? Leave your comment below or on twitter at #allweekendtransport

Trains will run through the night on Friday and Saturday across all lines, while trams will run to several destinations including St Kilda, Coburg, Bundoora, Port Melbourne, Carnegie, Box Hill and Vermont South.

The current NightRider buses will continue, with a focus on areas not serviced by rail, Mr Andrews said.

PSOs will continue to staff stations under the plan and there will be a Homesafe mobile app developed to tell people when the next service will run.

"Under Labor, Victorians will have transport options that have never before been available to them," Mr Andrews said.

"If you are a worker or have been out for the evening it's hard to get home from the city on Friday and Saturday nights.

"At the end of their shift or evening out we currently have a situation where people are either running for the last train, waiting hours for the first one, or trying to find a cab, it's not good enough," Mr Andrews said.

Mr Andrews said it was time that Melbourne caught up with international cities such as Berlin, New York and Chicago which already have 24-hour public transport services.

"A world-class, 24-hour city like Melbourne needs 24-hour public transport and Victorian Labor will make it happen. Labor will run trains, trams and buses all night, every weekend - a 24-hour service," Mr Andrews said.

Labor also plans to run a Homesafe shuttle service to regional centres which will see buses depart Southern Cross Southern Cross Station at 2am for Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Traralgon on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Andrews said that at the moment getting home to regional cities on Friday and Saturday nights is inconvenient, expensive or impossible.

"This means people from regional cities and towns in the city for the football, the tennis, or a show won't need to leave the city in a rush but be able to take their time and take the Homesafe Shuttle service at 2am.

He said that under Labor, getting home will be safer, easier and cheaper for everyone which would be good for the economy and our nightlife.

Labor Transport spokeswoman Jill Hennessy said that following the 12-month trial, which the party estimates will cost $50 million, it would review demand and structure the system accordingly.

"If passengers vote with their feet, 24-hour weekend public transport will be continued and expanded where necessary," Ms Hennessy said.

The Homesafe policy is Mr Andrews' second crack at a big transport vote-winner, following his pledge in November to sell the Port of Melbourne and use the money to remove 50 of Melbourne's worst level crossings. Labor will on Sunday launch TV advertisements spruiking its policy of removing those 50 level crossings.

State Political Reporter at The Age

Labor will need to increase the number of protective services officers. Photo: John Woudstra

The state Opposition will extend the operation of the protective services officers program it has criticised as part of an election promise to deliver 24-hour public transport on weekends.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday that if Labor wins the November state election it will roll out a 12-month, $50 million trial of trains, trams and buses running all night on Fridays and Saturdays.

''This is good for safety, it's good for the economic activity in our city and our state and it is exactly what our state needs - a world-class city needs world-class public transport,'' Mr Andrews said.

But Premier Denis Napthine said Labor's plan was uncosted, not a public transport priority and not what people want.

Mr Andrews said PSOs would have to be recruited for the trial, but denied there had been a shift in the Opposition's position on the armed officers.

''I made it very clear a month ago that PSOs are here to stay and if you are going to extend … public transport across trains, trams and buses on Friday and Saturday nights then you need to keep those PSOs in place.''

Under the plan trains would run across all lines on the hour from 2am, and trams would operate throughout the night, moving people through the city and to St Kilda, Bundoora, Coburg, Port Melbourne, Carnegie, Box Hill and Vermont South.

Mr Andrews said the Nightrider bus service would be expanded and enhanced as part of the trial, which would be running by New Year's Eve 2015.

It is not known exactly how many extra officers would have to be recruited, although Mr Andrews said ''not huge numbers''.

The officers would patrol train stations until the first morning service under the plan.

Labor has been critical of the cost of PSOs and the government's roll-out of the scheme.December 13